The Harpers get used to Louisburg Square
In this episode, the Harpers begin to acclimate to their new home in Beacon Hill, while Brad and Alexandra have a huge row. Scene One Dylan and Alex's townhouse. Located on Mount Vernon Street on the south side of Louisburg Square, it is as gorgeous as its neighbors. On this warm August evening, Dylan and Alex are sitting in their living room, talking with the others in their house, their cousins, Sheila Watkins; her husband, Allen; Shawn and Audra Harper. (Shawn had long since dropped his former last name of Hartselle and legally had his last name changed to Harper) DYLAN: You know we always buy a new set of furniture at this point of time of the year. SHEILA: I remember, that was always a tradition, wasn't it? DYLAN: Yeah, it was. And Alex and I have always turned in the old furniture to charity. SHAWN: Why did you always do that, Dyl? DYLAN: It was the charity I had chosen. And I think people who didn't have furniture could use it more than I did. AUDRA: So, what is the plan for this year? ALEX: While we were downstairs, as we explored the house, we saw some VERY well used furniture here. DYLAN: It's still in very good shape, very like new, and we don't have to buy the furniture this year. SHEILA: Makes a lot of sense. DYLAN: So, since we're all going to live here, do you want to buy the furniture, as we always do, or use what we found here? SHAWN: Use what we found. AUDRA: I agree, use what we found. SHEILA: Makes sense to me. ALLEN: It would be easier. DYLAN: I am all for it, myself. ALEX: Make it unanimous. DYLAN: So we use the furniture that we found here. This is going to be great. (As Sheila, Allen, Audra, and Shawn go downstairs to get the furniture that was found, Alex is a mite worried.) ALEX: Do you think this will be all right? Going against tradition? DYLAN: We've already given our old furniture to charity. I think this is the best route we can do. ALEX: It does make more sense, I think. The furniture is already here. DYLAN (hugging Alex): We have it made, Darling. No worries, love, with what we have going here, this will be the showplace of Louisburg Square. ALEX: You're right, babe. I am sure it will be. (Alex kisses Dylan, who kisses him back) Scene Two The Atchison House. Linda goes into the office where her older brother, Brad, who runs his father's financial company, is working hard. LINDA: Brad, you've been working at it all night. You need a break. BRAD: Dad wants these done in triplicate. LINDA: You need to relax a bit though, Brad. You work too hard, you know? BRAD: I wish I could. LINDA: I need to talk to you anyway. BRAD: What is going on, Linda? LINDA: Have you been wondering what Alexandra has been doing? BRAD: No, not that I am aware of. LINDA: I talked with a PI last night. I have something that I really have to show you. BRAD: Ok, Linda. What is it? (Linda gives Brad the PI's report. He is saddened and also angered.) LINDA: I am sorry, Brad. BRAD: You had suspicions and nobody else would believe you. Certainly not Dad. Libby has made sure of that. I believe you, I know you wouldn't lie to me. LINDA: Brad, I promised Mom that I would help you after she died, and I can't believe that Dad would allow this kind of stuff going on under the roof. (Enter Ralph Atchison, Linda and Brad's father) RALPH: Why are you disturbing Brad? He has that paperwork to do. BRAD: Dad, I am taking a break. It's all right. (Ralph sighs. His favoritism for Libby shows in his attitude towards his older children) RALPH: What is going on? LINDA: Here, look at this. I got a PI report about Alexandra. (Ralph looks at it, without any real interest, but Brad is intently looking.) BRAD: This looks accurate and above board. Linda wouldn't lie about any of this, Dad. RALPH: But this is not something Alexandra would do. She is a lady of quality! (Enter Alexandra) ALEXANDRA: Brad, I have another business dinner tonight. I know you will be working hard, so I know you have a lot going on. BRAD: Just a minute, Alexandra, I want to ask you something. ALEXANDRA: What is it, darling? BRAD: I have this report from a private investigator that Linda has given me. ALEXANDRA: This sheet is a rag of lies! BRAD (coldly): Is what my sister saying true? Have you been prostituting along Commonwealth Avenue? (Alexandra is caught, but she glares at Linda.) Scene Three Outside of Quincy Market, the evening before. Amy Smythe is enjoying a glass of wine with Cody Jablonski. That evening, Amy was crying outside of the market after her draining and harrowing confrontation with Mike Whitfield. A concerned Cody had seen her crying, and offered to help her. CODY: Where do you live at, Amy? AMY: In an apartment over by Kenmore Square. My roommate, Astrid McIntyre lives there. CODY: Doesn't it get loud because of the Red Sox games? AMY (laughing): I am sure it does. It's no better than it would be, had I lived near the baseball stadium in Philadelphia. CODY (smiling): What possessed you to move here from Philadelphia. I thought you would have been happiest there. AMY: I had been happy there. But being a Smythe, one of the wealthiest families in the Main Line, was not easy to live down. CODY: I see. So, why Boston? AMY: I moved here because I had caught my husband cheating. CODY: You're married? AMY: No, I am divorced. I divorced Eric Andrucci. CODY: He doesn't deserve you. But why were you so upset? AMY: I had a blistering confrontation with the man who once dated my Aunt Allison. He ended up drugging me and then raping me. CODY (furious): What is his name? AMY: Mike Whitfield. CODY: Well, I carry as much weight here as you do with the Smythe name. Jablonski Industries. If he comes near you again, I will make sure it will be the last time, I will make sure he goes to prison and REMAINS there. AMY: You're a sweet guy, Cody, and thanks for your help. CODY: My pleasure, Amy. (A spark is obvious between Cody and Amy.) Scene Four Michael and Wendy's townhouse. Michael, Wendy, Rosemary, Mark and Eric all live in the townhouse on Pinckney Street almost directly across from Dylan and Alex's on the other side of Louisburg Square. Shane is visiting as well. And possibly moving to Boston. SHANE: I can't get over this city. It's a lot more gorgeous than Los Angeles. In so many ways, the history of the city is it's drawing card. MICHAEL: Having lived here for most of my life, this city has become a way of life to me. SHANE: The only similarities that it had to Philly is that it's a main city of American History. MICHAEL: True, but Philadelphia was the first capital of the country, you know. SHANE: You knew that? I never even knew that, and I LIVED there. MICHAEL: Are you looking to move here? SHANE: Eric wants me to, because now with what has happened to Uncle Mike, I think he would need me around. WENDY: That is sweet of you, honey, but I don't know what else to do. SHANE: Given what Mike had done, I worry about Eric. Not to mention Nicky. MICHAEL: I talked with Nicholas. He is making sure that Mike is nowhere NEAR his nephew. That will not happen. I also have the police on speed dial. SHANE: That is good. (Enter Eric.) MICHAEL: Hey, Eric. ERIC: Hi...Dad. SHANE: I will certainly think on it. MICHAEL: There will always be room here. (Shane is thinking about what to do) Scene Five Anyssa and Bryan's condo. Their new home, over by the government center, is close enough to both their work and to Beacon Hill, that everyone can meet. ANYSSA: Aunt Vel, is your room all taken care of? VELDA: Yes, dear. It's all done, and looking good too, I daresay. BRYAN: I have all these briefs to deal with. ANYSSA: I cannot believe that people can get into such trouble, especially with federal cases! BRYAN: No surprise there. VELDA: I am going to give Fenwick a call to have him know where I am. BRYAN: That is a good idea, I am sure he tried to call the mansion. VELDA: Yes, I daresay. I had best call him on that new cell phone you all got me. ANYSSA: Want to go out to dinner later, Aunt Vel? VELDA: Would love to do that, darling. Bryan, are you wanting to come too? BRYAN: I would, Aunt Vel, but I can't. I have these briefs staring me in the face. VELDA: Ok, honey. (Velda goes into her room, and Anyssa helps Bryan through the pile of legal briefs) (Voice of Cameron Mathison: "Harpers Falls will continue in a moment, here on ONtv.") Scene Six A bar near Copley Square. Erica is meeting Michelle for a drink. ERICA: What is going on, Michelle? MICHELLE: I have a sinking feeling about that new family that lives a couple blocks from Beacon Hill. ERICA: The Atchisons? MICHELLE: Yeah, I like Linda, the one who catered Mike and Wendy's marriage. But the rest of the family is a bit unnerving. ERICA: I agree, I didn't trust Libby, Linda's sister, or Alexandra, that slattern who is married to Linda's brother. MICHELLE: Poor Brad. Sydney and I did some business with the Atchisons. We like Brad well enough, he's pretty nice, and decent, if a mite bit too innocent and somewhat naive. Ralph is a tough bird, but he's more manipulated. Libby, I don't like; and I outright despise Alexandra! ERICA: I do too. It's Brad and Linda I feel sorriest for. MICHELLE: I do too. But what can we do? ERICA: I have been hearing some scuttlebutt from some business associates of ours. Something about Brad's wife, Alexandra. MICHELLE: I wonder why she married him. The Chadwicks are as wealthy as we are. ERICA: I have never thought very highly of Alexandra Chadwick. She was as bad as Amber Jamison was. MICHELLE: Wait a second, Erica! Remember when we were at Radcliffe? ERICA: I do remember that. Alexandra and Amber were very close friends. MICHELLE: Not to mention, Sydney told me something very interesting last night. ERICA: What was that? MICHELLE: She was coming back from the Gardiner museum and was driving up Commonwealth Avenue and there is a stretch that is pretty seedy, with prostitution there. ERICA: What did she see? MICHELLE: Someone that looked like Alexandra. (Erica drinks this in.) Scene Seven The Atchison Home. RALPH: Do you have any proof about what you are accusing Alexandra of? LINDA: This PI's report should tell you everything. RALPH: I don't believe it. How can you say this about your own sister in-law? BRAD: Dad, STOP IT! You may be wrapped around Alexandra and Libby's fingers, but I believe Linda. RALPH: She is a Chadwick. How can she even consider prostitution? LINDA: Why do you think she married into this family?! She didn't love him! All she has done was cheat on him! RALPH: Aren't you being a bit harsh on her? LINDA: I am not being harsh ENOUGH! Alexandra is nothing more than a cheating tramp! RALPH: You had someone spy on Alexandra! How could you?! BRAD: STOP IT, DAD! Linda, what other proof do you have. RALPH: I won't believe it! Alexandra is a woman of quality! (Enter Alexandra) ALEXANDRA: You're not believing this crap? RALPH (unconvinced): Of course not, Alexandra. BRAD: What is he supposed to believe? ALEXANDRA: That I am your faithful wife! BRAD: YOU are a lying bitch! RALPH: Brad! She is your WIFE! BRAD: Linda is right! I had a sinking feeling that she was cheating on me all the time. She is as wealthy as we are. She is a gold digger, and a tramp and a slut as well! ALEXANDRA: How can you believe her over your own wife?! BRAD: Linda is my SISTER! She has been one of the few people who has ever believed me! She is perhaps the only friend I have in this house. YOU, Dad, are so busy being pulled on your puppet strings by Alexandra and Libby! Libby gets away with too much! (Ralph is silenced as he listens to the pain and rage that his son has bottled up for so many years. Even Brad has his limits) LINDA: Brad, I am sorry I had to go to these ends to get you to see what she is doing. BRAD: No, Linda. You were the only one in this whole family who ever gave a damn about me! RALPH: I was there for you. BRAD: No, you weren't. Mom and Linda cared about me. You had Libby and she could do no wrong. (Ralph is really upset, his son's words cut him to the quick, made all the more worse, because the words are true.) RALPH: Get out of here, Alexandra. ALEXANDRA: Excuse me?! Who the hell are YOU, old man, to tell me what I can and cannot do?! RALPH (infuriated): The owner of this house, that's who! NOW GET OUT OF HERE! I want to talk with Brad. I can't believe I let what happened go on this long! (A furious Alexandra storms out. Libby comes in.) LIBBY: I can't let you do this, Daddy! She HAS to stay! RALPH: Libby, get out of here. I hope I can make amends to Linda and Brad. (A furious Libby storms out. She is angry that Ralph has cut the strings.) RALPH: Son, I am sorry. I should have known what I was doing was hurting both of you. LINDA: I thought you hated me. RALPH: Another one of Libby's manipulations. (Ralph feels bad, and walks out of the living room and to his den. He procures a handgun.) Scene Eight The new site of Sheila Watkins Designs, in Cambridge. Sheila, Cynthia Archer and Christina Burkhardt are looking over the expansive building, which was once a part of an old warehouse. CYNTHIA: I think this building is sensational. SHEILA: I do too. This is way perfect. We can use one of the largest rooms here for a fashion show arena. CHRISTINA: I think so too. This will be wonderful. SHEILA: I was wondering what is going on. Are we going to have a fall fashion show? CYNTHIA: I think so, darling. I haven't seen a lot of the fashion styles of late. CHRISTINA: I went to Milan and I saw some very stylish designs there. SHEILA: I am amazed. You went to Milan to check out the styles? Very nice! CHRISTINA: I had to make a visit there. I have a lifetime pass to their fashion week there. CYNTHIA: Wow, you have a lot of connections. CHRISTINA: I don't like to brag about them. SHEILA: I think they would be of some service. CYNTHIA: You are a great person, love. And thanks for the help. (Christina smiles, feeling good about herself) Scene Nine In a cab headed towards the Back Bay where Amy lives with Astrid. As she goes back, she sees an ambulance headed towards the Beacon Hill area. Amy gets her cell phone. She receives a call from Dylan. AMY: Dylan, what is going on? I saw am ambulance headed to your area. DYLAN: It's over at the Atchison house. Something has happened. I don't know what it is. AMY: Oh my goodness. I am calling Astrid. DYLAN: I called her, she is over here. AMY: I am on my way back to our apartment. Have her call me here. DYLAN: Will do. (Amy disconnects the phone.) CAB DRIVER: Do you want me to go back to Louisburg Square, Ms. Smythe? AMY: Yes, I will pay the extra fare. CAB DRIVER: Don't be silly. It's been a slow night. This fare is on me. AMY: Thank you. (The cab streaks in the night back towards Beacon Hill.) Scene Ten The Atchison House. The place is in chaos. LIBBY: DADDY! Don't die on me! ALEXANDRA: This is all YOUR fault, Linda! LINDA: Shut up, bitch! LIBBY: No, YOU shut up! If you hadn't thrown all this up at us, Daddy wouldn't have shot himself! This is all YOUR fault, Linda! BRAD: Libby..... LIBBY (smirking): What?! BRAD (roaring): SHUT UP! LIBBY: Listen to me, Stupid! You are nothing! LINDA: You stupid bitch! How DARE you say anything to him?! (Libby and Linda get into a vicious catfight. Alexandra jumps into it, helping Libby. Enter Audra Harper) AUDRA: Will you STOP it?! (Rose Wilson, who has joined her, pulls the warring combatants apart.) ROSE: Will you all show some dignity?! BRAD: Linda has dignity. AUDRA: Look, your father is in an ambulance, and is headed to Massachusetts General. What the hell is going on with you people? BRAD: I am sorry for our behavior, Mrs. Wilson, but Alexandra, my wife, is a cheating, lying, prostituting slut! ROSE: Go on, I am listening. BRAD: My sister had a PI follow her, to see what she is doing, and she discovered Alexandra being a prostitute. LINDA: And Libby started this fight with me. ROSE: I am sure you're right about all of this, Linda, you strike me as honest, but you three women are tearing each other apart. LIBBY: Had Linda not started this vendetta against Alexandra, and started lying about her, Daddy would have not shot himself! This whole thing is her fault! AUDRA: There is blame to be had on both sides! Quit blaming your sister, exclusively! LIBBY: Why should I?! BRAD: All Linda did was show me some PI reports of what my wife was doing. LIBBY: Had she not done that, Daddy would have never believed any of this, and I would still have my father and nobody else would have! ROSE (in disgust): You know, I have a feeling Linda is not lying. Linda loves her father, as much as anyone else does. But from the evidence I see, I think I know who the liars are. (Rose's sharp glare penetrates Libby and Alexandra) (Voice of Larkin Malloy: "On the next Harpers Falls...") RALPH (to Brad): I should have seen what Libby and Alexandra had been up to. ABBY (to Luke): Are you in love with Vanessa? JOLIETTE (to Vanessa): If you are in love with him, tell him that you are. Category:Episodes Category:Episodes featuring Dylan and Sheila Category:Hall of Fame Episodes Category:Catfight episodes